Just Sharing

Anyone who knows me, knows that I do this everytime I go on vacation. I don't want to go. It doesn't mean I don't really want to go, I just get stressed. I know that once I am there I will love it. However, I freak out right before about everything that needs done or work or something. It is my mother to a tee. Good gracious, I laugh about it because I can and I know it is true.
So, I should be doing the million things in my head that need done, but this time I have decided that I am not going in that direction. They don't really need done, they will be here when I get back. I am just stressing. My cell phone doesn't work there, imagine that! I can't take my laptop, imagine that! Maybe that is the stress.

I had the weekend off. I only get that once a month and it goes quickly. I had a blast. I went up to Jenn's on Friday night, Justin came up and they played some music, played some Yahtzee, and some dice game that I just could not get the hang of at all. I didn't win any games (which is a bit irritating). I should have busted out the boggle. MMMM...


Saturday I went shopping and bought all new cloths for my trip. That was fun. Then I went to T&C to see NAG. Heather was there. I thought I was getting Stollared, but for the record I didn't. Good job Heather! It was fun to hang out with her again.

Sunday I had planned to just clean and get ready for the trip, but my sister called and "strongly encouraged" me to go to my cousins Baby Shower. I am glad I went, it was fun and I should hang out with my family more than I do. We left on the early side so Amanda and I could have fun playing before I leave. Eric picked up the kids and we had some porch time, listened to Martin Sexton and Matt Costa. We called our friend Carrie and she came over to hang out as well. It was a good time, but I am exhausted today. I had inventory this morning and I have to go back tonight to finish the accessory count. I didn't realize that I was to leave this week so I have to make up hours for the days I didn't schedule as time off. Two more solid days of work. I am very tired, but I know it is ending soon and I will be on the beach with no worries and I can sleep all day.

Tree situation is resolved, hopefully to never be revisited.
Last night Paige and My sister came over. Amanda and I walked to blockbuster to return a movie. It was fun, I like that walk. Then we watched some Idol, it was lame, and I went to bed early.
So of course, I woke up this morning early. I can't watch anymore TV. Hillary is everywhere. I have already done laundry and cleaned the bathroom. Rinsed the deck and watered the grass seed. Now I am bored. I do not have to work until 1.
I wanted to go shopping, but then I didn't feel like trying on clothes.
Maybe I drank too much coffee this morning. I think I will play in the yard until it is time to go to work.
On a side note, Jack Johnson announced some dates. Blossom in June. Yeah, I know, I hate Blossom. However, I have never seen Jack. He doesn't tour the US much. So it may be worth the 2 hour drive, 2 hour wait to get into the lot. 1 Mile walk to the concert, and two hour wait to leave to drive home another 2 hours. Does that sound fun to anyone else? If so let me know. I'll drive.

What to do???? AWWW!
OK so the Tree guy is creepy enough. He quoted me one price and then asked for more. Probably because I am female. When I resisted he said if I paid him cash he wouldn't charge taxes, and it would end up being cheaper. Then the day he cut done the trees, he came to where I work!!!! Yes, he came to where I work. All dirty and creepy (with the fresh scent of pine). He said he needed some money up front because he broke a saw. I was a bit sceptic, but what am I supposed to do? I want him out of my store. So I gave him $200 dollars and he left.
When I got home that evening I was in a hurry because I had plans. So I talked with him briefly, I said what about the stumps? He said he would be back. I explained I didn't want to pay him all of the money unless everything was done. He agreed and I paid him everything minus what he called "stump removal" on the original estimate.
Never heard from him again...that's all good. I had basically excepted the fact that I got ripped off in the 3rd degree. He was a sales person just trying to make the sale. I understand that, and money is tight these days. Move forward one week......
I spent all last night after work and all day this morning cleaning up pine needles and spreading limestone and cow manure. I got a bit attached to the stump, I thought maybe I would paint a Fire Dancer in the middle or the 'Before These Crowded Streets' Circles. That would be cool.
At about 1pm I decided to go to the store, when I came home there were these two guys removing the stumps! They were nice enough, and probably very good people, but I was so upset that all the work I had just done was meaningless at this point. I wanted to cry, but didn't.
I explained to the guy that I would have never spread the limestone or done anything if I knew that they were coming today. He thought that I had known, so it wasn't his fault. I asked about the money, I said to him "Is this going to cost me extra?" He said "I think so, he told me he would have my money this evening."
I cleaned everything up a second time, begrudged but listening to Dave so it was OK. I went back down to Lowe's and got everything I had bought this morning. Basically, I redid 5 hours of work.
Now CRAZY CREEPY TREE GUY wants the second estimate. Which is $200.00 more than the original. I won't answer his phone calls. I know that is cowardly, but I am so aggravated. I do not want to pay him one more dime.
Now for the moral dilemma, I want the nice people who were here today to get their money because they are not part of CRAZY CREEPY TREE GUY, and I believe the money that he is asking for belongs to them.

What to do? Just suck it up and take in the $#%? I want the good people to get their money, but this guy is just taking advanatge of me.

Pine Trees are gone. The yard looks like a war zone, but you get the point. Now if I could just get that cheap attorney to cut down the other pine tree beside my house I would be in good shape. They cut all the branches away from my house so it will not cause any issues, but now it looks a bit strange.




The only problem I see with the removal of the pine trees is that my back deck is no longer my private place. Yeah...Check this out...
Hello Neighbor!

Hello other neighbor...but the house is currently empty.


There is no where to hide.
I also need curtains, because now everyone on the hill can see into my computer room. Which is always the most popular place in the house. It is a work in progress. I'll keep ya posted.

Today is the start of a new era on Alice. The pine trees are being removed as I write this. GoodBye pine trees! Good Bye evil birds that dwell in the pine trees. Good Bye pine needles tracked all through the house. Good Bye grass that won't grow because it doesn't get any sun.
Hello garden! Hello green grass! I can't wait to start doing yard work this spring. I will post pics tonight, have to go back to work.

Where to start...by the way, I am no expert on this topic. But I have learned a couple of things along the way. First off, you can't force them, they just happen. That is the way they go. They may leave you quicker than you had wish, or they may linger longer than you would like.
It is very difficult to deal with losing relationships that you wish to keep. I know this first hand. The one thing that you have to realize it that sometimes it has just ran it's cycle in your life. That does not mean it is forgotten, it just means it is time to move on. That is the reality. It is painful sometimes. It doesn't mean that you hate the person, or that you wish any harm. In fact, it is often just the opposite. You will hold the memories and cherish the moments that made the relationship so important to you in the first place. You may never get back what you had, but you will live with the love you received while you had it.
Recently one of my friends did something very brave. She went above and beyond any comfort zone. At first, I was like, "What the heck is she thinking!" But then I realized that she was doing something that should have been done a long time ago. She was putting herself out there for the benefit of everyone. Something that I was not able to do.
I can say that I love all my friends. The ones that I still have and the ones that I have lost. I am still the same person, but lives and priorities change. I understand this, and we should welcome it. I know that I have been wrong more times than I have been right. However, I am confident that I am right about this.
I encourage all who received her invitation to go. If anything it will rid the air of anger and hurt feelings. It will never be what is was, that is the truth. But maybe, just maybe...it will be the start of a new era. Maybe even a better one, where there is more laughter, less anger and tears. A simpler and easier approach to friendship. Maybe...Just Maybe!

I went to visit a friend last night. Her Pap passed away in the middle of the night. I found out when I woke up. I was sad, but I was glad to be there for her. She is OK, but I know she is sad. She didn't want to talk much about it, which is alright and completely understandable. They were very close. She had to tell her little one when she got home from school. She did OK with it, but didn't want to talk about it either. Two peas in a pod those two!
Pap...Where to start? He was an amazing individual. My favorite Pap moment was when Carm lived with him about 10 or so years ago. He was a jazz player, played the saxophone. I had the Sinatra song "Best Is Yet To Come" in my head and I was singing it. We talked a little about the song. Next time I came Pap was humming and singing the song. It was sweet, he remembered. He was a very nice and good man. I will miss him.